What a Fiasco

2010 may have had some of the most hype ever for hip-hop when the year began. As I mentioned in my album review of Sir Lucious Left Foot: Son of Chico Dusty, there were multiple big name MC's that intended to make noise this year. Out of all of the A-List stars who were to release albums, Lupe Fiasco has arguably garnered the most hype. Fiasco has released two commercially and critically successful albums so far, Lupe Fiasco's Food and Liquor (2006) and Lupe Fiasco's The Cool (2007).

But as we approach the end of July, with just five months left in 2K10, Fiasco's Lasers release has been nothing but, well, a fiasco.

Originally, Lasers was supposed to come out in the fourth quarter of 2009, but Lupe wasn't able to finish the album on time. On January 26th, earlier this year, Lupe stated that he had indeed finished Lasers, and that he submitted the final cut to his label, Atlantic Records. He also released his single, "I'm Beaming", on the same day.

"Im actually going in to turn it into the label in the morning [Tuesday]," he told the radio show yesterday. "I was actually supposed to turn it in tonight. And I'm just keeping it crispy with my fans now. I'm not going to be like 'Yeah it'll be out soon!' I'm turning it into the label tomorrow. They're going to go through their processes, see what they need to do, pick whatever singles they want to do. And I'm hoping [the album will come out] before the summer. That's just what it is."

But Lasers remained quiet throughout the spring music season, and there was no indication of any official release date when May rolled around. On May 3rd, Fiasco did another interview discussing Lasers.

"The album is coming soon," he assured. "Not soon enough for some people [though]."

Lupe also stated that he expected the album to dropped by the "end of summer". Things though, didn't materialize through the rest of May, June, and beginning of July. On July 13th, Lupe tweeted that Lasers, was well, out of his hands.

"Lasers is out of my hands guys and gals...it's done and that's all I can tell you...when they drop it...they drop it...so drop it..."

As if things couldn't get any worse for Lupe's latest solo project, his former producer Prolyfic last week unleashed a barrage of criticisms on Fiasco. Prolyfic said that Lupe was "scared of failure" and also put into question why Lupe was one of the most talked about rappers in the game today and how he hadn't made the majority of "hottest MCs" lists., such as MTV's in 2009. Prolyfic went on to say that his theory on why Lasers had been delayed wasn't because Atlantic Records refused to release the album. Instead, he suggested that it was because Lupe refused to make any hit songs that would improve album sales. He also criticized the rapper for his supposed "temper tantrums" whenever a single was leaked from Lasers.

Atlantic Records responded, via twitter, the next day, claiming that "Lasers in on the way!".

Maybe Atlantic will make good on its promise. Maybe Lasers will be released this fall and become the third consecutive album of Lupe's that is critically and commercially successful.

Regardless, this is a major blow in credibility to Lupe. The MC who hails from Chi-town was labeled as hip-hop's next "vanguard" by Jay-Z when Lupe first came onto the scene in 2006. But the delay in his newest album has opened up some serious questions. I'm as big a Lupe fan as anyone, but I won't consider him one of the best today if he doesn't sort this out, and fast.

Some food for thought. . .

- Many artists will wait 2-3 years to release an album if they have personal issues, family concerns, or just want to spend more time on the material. This could have been the case when Lupe first delayed his album from being released last year. If it is, I applaud him for that because sometimes extra time can help the artist realize what needs changed. However, this doesn't seem to be the case with Fiasco. Lupe claims to have handed it in to Atlantic Records in January, so why is it the end of July and still no release date has even been confirmed?

- Can you imagine if this would happen to Nas, Jay-Z, or 2pac and Biggie? They would probably break down the doors of the CEO's of their labels and demand that their album gets on the shelves immediately. If their labels failed to do so, they'd just sign with someone else to get their material out. They cared about the money, sure, but they also cared about getting their music heard. 2pac made sure that his classic, Me Against the World, was released even as he began to start his prison sentence in 1995. Lupe isn't showing any signs of motivation and his street cred will suffer if he doesn't show any sometime soon.

- Even if Prolyfic's claims have any truth to them, why should Lupe be concerned? If this were Lupe's debut album, then a hit single is certainly a requirement to sell well. But he's got a large fan base at this point, so it won't destroy him as an MC if none of his songs make it to the Billboard Hot 100. In fact, he may receive praise for creating an album that will only be suited for actual hip-hop fans, one that has substance like Reflection Eternal's latest, Revolutions Per Minute. But if Lupe cares more about sales than getting his music heard, it will say a great deal about his character. Lupe is supposed to be hip-hop's breath of fresh air, so a mindset of money over legacy will hurt him in the long run.

I'm an optimist, so I still believe Lupe will get things on track. Maybe the album won't be released until December, but if Lasers is as good or better than either of his first two, then it will help people forget this fiasco a little easier. If it's not though, it will take a lot more than rants on twitter and mixtapes to get his name on any of the Hottest MC's lists.

The Mistake

(Note: This is the Spot for Hip Hop and Everything Else, just wanted to share my thoughts on this before I get back to more hip-hop articles)

Last week, there was an event that was watched by millions of people across the country. The event wasn't the World Cup. It wasn't another apology from BP and it wasn't a presidential address either. No, this event involved one man who would change the sporting landscape forever.

If you haven't picked up on what event I'm referring to by this point, then I'm glad, because that means you weren't sucked in to the madness of LeBron James. Arguably the biggest free agent to ever come onto the market in any sport, James met with six teams over the course of four days. He waited a week to give his decision on where he wanted to go. That decision came last Thursday on a one-hour special on ESPN, fittingly named "The Decision". After a half hour of analysis that had been repeated for the past four days, LeBron finally gave sports fans, well except Cleveland's, what they wanted to hear.

"Next year, man this is tough, I'm going to be taking my talents to South Beach."

A statement so simple, yet there was so much more behind it. If you hadn't followed the LeBron sweepstakes and would've read the story ESPN posted shortly after LeBron made his announcement, nothing would've seemed out of place. A super free agent decided to switch teams so he could play with his two superstar buddies, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade. It makes sense right? Who would pass up an opportunity to play in Miami where the women are beautiful and the clubs are some of the most recognized in the world.

You don't have to look deep though, to see how this "decision" could be the most disastrous thing to happen to sports in decades.

First off, let me say that I have no problem with LeBron switching teams. The man played through his seven-year deal in Cleveland and the Cavs knew that he would become a free agent. He is perfectly allowed to meet with other teams and then decide what is best for him. Despite losing a reported $15 million dollars to sign with the Heat, I think it's crazy for anyone to think that the option of playing with your two best friends in South Beach while still making nearly $20 million a year is not a huge temptation. I also applaud the players for making this sacrifice so they could play together. For once, money didn't seem to be the only thing that talks.

Here's where the real problem lies though. James didn't just tell Cleveland "No, I won't be back next year," but he pulled out his knife and stabbed every Cavs fan who has idolized him for the past seven years and stabbed each one of them in the heart, mercilessly. James showed no appreciation for the organization that embraced him as one of their own. He didn't care that his departure would not only devastate the Cleveland fans, but the city itself. Bars, merchandise stores, and other shops around the Quicken Loans Arena have thrived since the self proclaimed "King" arrived on the scene in 2003. He didn't even give the courtesy of a call to Cavs owner Dan Gilbert before he made his public announcement.

That's low. I can't remember ever seeing a player more selfish and unappreciative in my life. You think Peyton Manning would've done that? Or Kobe? Or MJ?

And since I just mentioned Jordan and Kobe, let me say this. The talk about James being the greatest player since Michael is over. In fact, the discussion has been closed for eternity in my book. When Jordan was ready to return from his failed baseball experiment, he didn't call up ESPN and say,

"Hey, I want EVERYONE to know what I'm going to be doing next year. I want to make sure that the spotlight is solely on ME and noone else. Oh, and make sure you ask me really easy questions in my interview, like you always do, and have Chris Broussard kiss my ass for 50 minutes on every SportsCenter for the week leading up to this decision."

Of course not. Jordan sent a fax to the Bulls ownership simply stating "I'm Back." But let's think, for argument's sake, what Jordan would've done if he were in LeBron's shoes last week.

James had the opportunity to play in Chicago with Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, and Joakim Noah. He also had the chance to play in New York with Amare Stoudemire and likely Carmelo Anthony at the beginning of the 2011 season. He could have returned to Cleveland as well and try to deliver the city its first championship since 1964. Jordan would've taken any three of those over Miami. He wouldn't have wanted to play with Wade and Bosh, even if they were his best friends. In fact, Bosh and Wade teaming up would've gave him more reason to not join their forces. He would've wanted to have his own team so that he could destroy the Heat and rule over the NBA kingdom. Jordan was a cold blooded killer who care about winning and strictly being the best that anybody ever saw.

Kobe is also like that. I'm pretty sure when Bryant watched the James spectacle last week, he was furious. How could a professional of that talent and stardom, act like a kid who threw a temper tantrum in the check out line of a grocery store just to get everyone's attention. I'm positive that Bryant will do everything in his power to annihilate the Heat next season when they meet. I bet that he'll pray for the Heat to make the finals so he can give LeBron a lesson on what it truly takes to be one of the greatest ever and win championships. You really think that if you switched LeBron for Kobe on the Lakers in the Finals this year that L.A. would've still won?

I don't. Face it, James has won NOTHING in his seven years. The guy got swept in the finals by a superior Spurs squad and then was eliminated by Dwight Howard and the Magic the next year. If you really want proof though, just look at this past postseason. Yes, the Celtics were clearly better team, but its also clear now that James gave up. Jordan or Kobe would never have let their team be so embarrassed by a rival at home like James did in game 5. 32 point loss? Only 15 points in their obliteration? Not even Dwight Howard would've let that happen. For as much as Howard clowns around, watch games 4,5, and 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals this year. When the Magic had their backs against the wall, Howard played out of his mind. When the Cavs had their backs in the same position, LeBron didn't step up, he gave up. For a team that won a league best 61 games in the regular season, it proves that James can dazzle fans when it doesn't matter. When it gets to crunch time however, James will gladly give up the ball to someone else to take the shot for him.

Maybe that's why it makes so much sense for James to play with Wade and Bosh. He'll never have to be "the guy" anymore. He won't have to make the shots that no one else will make, although he rarely even did that in Cleveland. He can just pass the ball to Wade, who is a proven winner, to take the shots for him. He can score 24 a game, make some crazy dunks, and the Heat fans will be happy. For someone who has so much potential, it's a tragedy to see him accept this. I never thought he'd be Jordan because no one will ever be Jordan. Yet, I hoped that LeBron would become an icon of the game. I hoped he would prove that you can revive a city and bring people a title that they never dreamed would happen. I'm saying this being a Steelers, Pens, and Red Sox fan, so for me to say that I actually wanted James to win something for a city I usually despise in sports, says a lot.

On another note, I mentioned earlier that this was a disastrous event for sports. Think about it. My step dad said after LeBron's decision that "kids just can't have heroes anymore." I don't completely agree with that, but I'll admit it's very hard to idolize someone these days. When players show no loyalty, even worse in what James did, kids lose hope. These men, who children have almost worshiped since they arrived on the team, aren't just disappointing fans, but showing that in the end, their selfish interests rule over anything else. How hard do you think that had to be for parents that watched "The Decision" to tell their kids why James was doing this?

I heard something else that caught my attention the other day too. A friend of my mom's asked her about "who this LeBron James was? I didn't even know about this guy until this past week; now he's everywhere!"

Credit, my mother and her friends don't even know what a touchdown is half the time, but that statement was a summary of the whole week for me. James succeeded in becoming more important than even the President for a short time. If he wants to send any thank you's, he better send a huge card to ESPN then.

As a sports journalist, I was disgusted to see a news network sacrifice so much. ESPN isn't perfect, but neither is any news network. After last week though, ESPN lost any credibility it had of having any serious analysis or reporting. 4 days of solely LeBron when the World Cup is in its semifinals? Are you kidding me? I now know to never expect ESPN to ask the hard questions, to make athletes squirm in their seat and say "next question". They'll always kiss ass to the players who rule their respective sports and do anything to get ratings. Sure, the money made on "The Decision" was donated, and that's always a good thing. But to have 30 minutes of just hammering into the minds of everyone watching why LeBron is so important, after doing this for a week, was a disgrace. I'll still watch the network because I love sports and they have the rights for almost every sporting event now. But I will never look at ESPN the same and I'll never take them seriously. If I want real news, I'll go to Sports Illustrated or Yahoo, not a network that hopes they can get it good with superstars so they can benefit themselves.

As is with most things, time will only tell on what the impact of James' decision is. Maybe he will win 3 or 4 titles. Maybe Cleveland will recover. Maybe even ESPN will start caring about the sports they cover more than beating to death the point of how good certain athletes are.

Right now though, I'm just glad it's almost football season.